If you’re in the southeastern United States, you might pass a colourful 2011 Toyota Corolla. If you’re a fan of Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia, chances are you’ve seen this car – either in person or perhaps online. This is Toyota Deku, an itasha dedicated to the hero-in-training Izuku Midoriya from My Hero Academia.

An itasha is a vehicle that is decorated with images from an anime, manga or video game, usually limited to a specific character (but not always). Many cars are wrapped with images of female characters (known as bishojo) being the most common, and bright elements from their series or games. Originating in Japan, itasha (which translates into “painful car” and relates to the “painful” cost of modifications to the functionality and appearance of the vehicle) are starting to make appearances in North America, and surprisingly enough, there is a large group of itasha in the southern United States.

Tony Okumura, owner of Toyota Deku, is a huge fan of My Hero Academia, and it shows. The hood is decked out with an image of Shoto Todoroki, Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugo, and pro hero All Might, topped off with an autograph, sealed in clear coat, by Justin Briner — Deku’s English voice actor. On the sides, there’s a huge graphic of Deku mid-punch shouting “Plus Ultra!”, the motto of UA High School. The details are numerous – the rain guards on the windows feature Deku’s mumbling – ブツ a common trait the aspiring hero exhibits throughout the series. The rails below the doors include Tony’s name and background – A US citizen of Mexican heritage. Right down to the wheels, which are adorned with decals of Deku’s iconic red boots, and the words “Midoriya” and “Plus Ultra” in adhesive rubber on the tires themselves.

Owning an itasha isn’t cheap; many itasha drivers put a lot of work and care into their vehicles, not to mention designing the wrap and installing them cost a pretty penny. So far, Tony has spent approximately $2,500 USD on the wrap. Toyota Deku isn’t complete yet, as the roof still needs to be covered, along with additional physical improvements to the car itself. Sponsorship to offset costs is rare, as most expenses are paid out of pocket and any logos included in the design are there to give credit back to the creators, publishers, and licensees of the series, rather than a form of endorsement or acknowledgement.

Editor’s Note: Nephrus is a financial sponsor of Toyota Deku; our logo is present on the front bumper.

The graphics used on Toyota Deku was created entirely by Tony and drawn entirely by hand in Adobe Illustrator using vector art; vector graphics scale much better than a raster image (there’s no pixelation if you look closely). Once the imagery was finalized, Tony worked with the Birmingham-based graphics shop CGS Vinyl to print and install the artwork. Wrapping began with the hood and progressed along the sides and rear as funds became available. The roof design is done, but has yet to be printed and attached at time of writing.

Initial reactions to such a vibrant vehicle might sound incredulous or even disparaging, however, that’s not the case. Passing motorists will sometimes match the speed to take a picture, roll down their windows and wave, or honk their horns. Even when parked at a gas station or other venue, small crowds gather for photos or give props for seeing it person; one fan actually stopped in the middle of an empty intersection in New Orleans to flag us down so they could snap a few pictures with their cellphone. So the response to the itasha isn’t always negative; Toyota Deku turns heads, but always with a smile.

Toyota Deku has logged many a mile, travelling south to Matamoros, Mexico, and north to Washington, DC, with all places in between from his home base of Birmingham, Alabama. Recently, Tony made an appearance at San Japan, in San Antonio, Texas in which we took turns driving. So if you see Tony and Toyota Deku, be sure to give them a wave. Plus Ultra!

You can follow Toyota Deku on Instagram.

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